I've read at least one other Anita Shreve book before and I wasn't crazy about her style of writing. She jumps around a lot and doesn't use a lot of actual dialogue and I know that turns some people off.

Testimony tells the point of view of all the people involved in a sex scandal at a private boarding school in Vermont. Three male students age eighteen or nineteen are involved as well as a fourteen year old girl and an unknown camera operator. That's the gist of the whole thing, what if the exploits had not been taped. We hear the story from all of those involved as well as the headmaster of the school and the parents of the students. The story is a good one that is interesting to pretty much all people as we can imagine being in the shoes of those who experienced it. The writing is convincing for each character. I truly felt the emotions of the teenagers, the pain of the parents, the fear that the headmaster felt.

If you want a feel-good story, don't read this one, but if you want a good true to life drama, then I definitely recommend Testimony.

ForbiddenAlexandra is suffering from anxiety about her upcoming wedding. She loves her fiance but wonders if she'll ever feel real passion. Max has been in love with Alexandra for months but keeps his feelings hidden as she prepares to marry his best friend. When she comes to him one night, will loyalty be enough to deny his heart's desire?

RedemptionOn the run from a murderous uncle, Katie Beaumont married outlaw Ben Cready the day before he was supposed to hang. They shared one night of explosive passion and for six months, she'd believed herself a widow. Now Ben is back to claim what's his, and that includes the sweet bride he'd never been able to forget.

If you promo any of her books along with the buy info, you will be entered to win her current prize, a copy of He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccilo. This is the book that is now coming out as a movie. Be sure to send her the link to your blog, Facebook or MySpace page. Contact her at nancy777ca (at) yahoo.ca

If there is one thing that any writer loves, it’s her readers. Without readers, we’d be nothing. Last summer I did a series of library talks, and during one of these I had the pleasure of meeting a super sweet, sixteen-year-old reader named Katy. She said she and her mother, Elizabeth, had read all my books and were huge fans. I liked her immediately. :) Katy is an aspiring author and illustrator, and even brought me the cutest laminated drawing of Maddie, the main character in my High Heels books! How cool is that?

Fast forward a few months – just before Christmas of this year, Katy and her mother became homeless. They were evicted from their apartment and have been living in hotel rooms (when they’ve been lucky) or their car (when they’ve not been so lucky) since then. Katy has been blogging about life on the streets, and you can read all about how this incredibly sweet mother and daughter ended up in this situation here: http://destinationanywherebuthere.blogspot.com/ As Katy states on her blog, "Homelessness has many faces. And sometimes it happens to have a computer." Both Katy and her mother seem to have very positive outlooks, but it’s clear they’re in some real trouble. Which is where we come in. I’ve teamed up with Haven Rich at Romantic Inks to put together an auction to help get Katy and her mom back on their feet. We’re auctioning off a ton of cool stuff including manuscript critiques from published authors and agents, graphic and website design, tarot card readings, artwork, jewelry, handmade quilts, toys, spa sets, collectibles, and tons and tons of rare and autographed books! All proceeds from the auction will go directly to Katy and her mother. I’m personally auctioning off the chance to name a character in my next book, SCANDAL SHEET, after the person of the winner’s choice! (check it out here: http://romanticinks.com/auction/2009/01/2135-name-a-character-gemma-halliday/) And my fabulous editor, Leah Hultenschmidt, is not only kicking in a full set of autographed High Heels books, but she’s also auctioning a 1/2 hour phone call to pitch or ask her anything about publishing! How cool is that?! (check her item out here: http://romanticinks.com/auction/2009/01/2403-30-minute-phone-pitch-to-leah-hultenschmidt-editor-dorchester-publishing/) The auction runs from January 19th (today!!!) to Jan 26th. To see all the items up for bid, just go to http://romanticinks.com/auction/. So, feel free to blog about the auction, tell your friends, spread the word, and come bid generously on a ton of really great stuff to help out a really wonderful mother/daughter pair! ~Gemma

Friday, January 16, 2009

I was thinking about this issue recently. What are your beliefs about the endtimes? What do you think will happen? When do you think it will happen? Give me your thoughts for a chance to win Shiloh Walker's Hunting the Hunter.

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . . Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth - and he's her long-lost fiance. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war - and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction. (borrowed from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/beth-fantaskey/jessicas-guide-to-dating-on-dark-side.htm) due out February 1st

Drood by Dan Simmons

On June 9, 1865, while traveling by train to London with his secret mistress, 53-year-old Charles Dickens--at the height of his powers and popularity, the most famous and successful novelist in the world and perhaps in the history of the world--hurtled into a disaster that changed his life forever. Did Dickens begin living a dark double life after the accident? Were his nightly forays into the worst slums of London and his deepening obsession with corpses, crypts, murder, opium dens, the use of lime pits to dissolve bodies, and a hidden subterranean London mere research . . . or something more terrifying? Just as he did in The Terror, Dan Simmons draws impeccably from history to create a gloriously engaging and terrifying narrative. Based on the historical details of Charles Dickens's life and narrated by Wilkie Collins (Dickens's friend, frequent collaborator, and Salieri-style secret rival), DROOD explores the still-unsolved mysteries of the famous author's last years and may provide the key to Dickens's final, unfinished work:The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Chilling, haunting, and utterly original, DROOD is Dan Simmons at his powerful best. (borrowed from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/dan-simmons/drood.htm) due out February 9th

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

A lost child: On the eve of the First World War, a little girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia. A mysterious woman called the Authoress had promised to look after her - but has disappeared without a trace. A terrible secret: On the night of her twenty-first birthday, Nell Andrews learns a secret that will change her life forever. Decades later, she embarks upon a search for the truth that leads her to the windswept Cornish coast and the strange and beautiful Blackhurst Manor, once owned by the aristocratic Mountrachet family.A mysterious inheritance: On Nell's death, her granddaughter, Cassandra, comes into an unexpected inheritance. Cliff Cottage and its forgotten garden are notorious amongst the Cornish locals for the secrets they hold - secrets about the doomed Mountrachet family and their ward Eliza Makepeace, a writer of dark Victorian fairytales. It is here that Cassandra will finally uncover the truth about the family, and solve the century-old mystery of a little girl lost. (borrowed from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/kate-morton/forgotten-garden.htm) due out April 7th

Monday, January 12, 2009

Monday - from Paula Callaway and the Exstasy Christmas party (pens, bookmarks, magnet and a really cool sparkly orange pendant)- The Becoming & a magnet from Jeanne C. Stein- The Devil to Pay & book thong from Michele Hauf- bookmarks for the library from Terri Garey

Tuesday - The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe from Access Romance- Christmas Set of books courtesy of Sable Lit Reviews and Hachette Book Group (included The Physics of Christmas by Roger Highfield, The Christmas Train by David Baldacci, The Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne, Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn & Christmas Around the World Pop-up Book by Chuck Fischer)

Our library where I work at got broken into sometime last Thursday night or Friday morning. Imagine my surprise when I walk in to find broken glass and drawers / cabinets open all over the place. I headed straight to the phone to dial 911 then when outside to wait on the cops. The good news is they caught the guy, recovered the cameras that he had stolen and the only true sign of the break-in is having to get new glass for two doors.

I can't wait for Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris, which is #9 in the Sookie Stackhouse series. It comes out in May.

I would love to read Love is Hell, a collection of paranormal stories by Melissa Marr, Gabrielle Zevin, Laurie Faria Stolarz, Scott Westerfeld & Justine Larbalestier. I do love a supernatural anthology! This one is already out.

I'm dying for Carpe Corpus, the 6th book in the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine. This is an amazing YA series that just keeps getting better.

Dreamfever, the 4th book in the Fever series in coming in August of this year. Oh man, can't wait!

Also, on the wish-list currently: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion to Twilight by Stephenie Meyer & Mark Cotta Vaz. I'm a total Twilight freak, though I haven't seen the movie yet, call it delayed gratification. It will have to be all the more better for my waiting.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Who wants to win? I just happen to have an extra copy, so I'm gonna offer my first giveaway.

Head over to http://www.jerismithready.com/books/wicked-game/index.htm to read all about it. Then come back here and comment. Tell me something about the book or Jeri herself for an entry. For extra entries, comment on any other post on my blog previous to this one, one entry per post.

How to Prepare:Heat oil over medium heat in a large nonstick saucepan.Add onion and garlic, reduce heat to low.Cook until softened, about 7 minutes.Add broccoli, salt, and a pinch of pepper; stir well to coat.Add broth and lemon juice;Bring to a simmer. partially cover and reduce heat to lowSimmer gently until broccoli is very tender, about 25 minutes.Transfer soup to a blender and puree, in batches if necessaryServe hot, garnished with a small broccoli floret, if desired.

So, we were in the process of getting ready this morning, when the s**t hit the fan, in the form of rain. It was pouring and our power went out. I just happened to have two candles on my kitchen candle that I won from the Life is like Champagne blog, courtesy of Homemade by Hoyt, a quaint little Etsy shop. They burned gloriously and smelled delicious. My choices were the Celtic Moonspice & Vanilla candle and the Love Spell and Pomegranate candle. Head on over and check out the store at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5194366

Damn, where in the hell is an interruption when you need one? she thought irritably. A sardonic little voice in her head said, Chicken. To that voice, Devon thought back, Damn right.

She’d meant it when she told Luke Rafferty he was a complication she didn’t need in her life. She’d meant it even though she wished she wasn’t such a fricking coward. Devon just didn’t know if she was ready to handle the ups and downs that came with anything more than a casual friendship. Casual friendships–that was all she had. And it was damn lonely, too.

Then you need to do something about it.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she looked Luke square in the eye and said, “Yeah, I’ve been dodging you.”

He blinked, a little taken aback by her honest response. “Do I take that to mean you changed your mind?” he asked, his gray eyes narrowing on her face.

“I don’t know. Yes. No–” Devon blew out a breath, feeling like a fool. And a coward. Damn it, she liked this guy. He was funny, he made her smile and the way he was with kids just totally melted her heart. But she was too much a coward to do anything about it. Shuffling her feet, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her blazer and said, “Yes, I’d changed my mind. Then I changed it back. Right now I’m kind of caught in the in between.”

Luke reached up, brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. His hand lingered and Devon could have sworn electricity jumped between them, just from that simple touch. He felt it, too. She could see it in the way his eyes darkened, the way he hissed in a breath. His body changed, too, tensing and from the corner of her eyes, she could see his other hand close into a fist. The hand that had brushed her hair back from her face slid backward, curving around her neck.

So I'm dieting again for the umpteenth time. I have been successful following the South Beach Diet. As far as diets go, it's not that bad. I'm going to be sharing recipes that should fit into the restraints of the diet and here's one here. Plus it's got the word mojo in it and that's just cool!

Saturday - a big 'ol box of vampire goodness courtesy of Lori Devoti & her 30 Days of Vampires:containing Twilight & New Moon by Stephenie Meyer,Unbound, Guardian's Keep & Wild Hunt by Lori Devoti,Wicked Game by Jeri Smith Ready,Hunting the Hunter by Shiloh Walker,All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks,Fangs But No Fangs by Kathy Love,Blood Ties Book Two: Possession by Jennifer ArmintroutNight Rising by Chris Marie Green &Holiday With a Vampire II by Merline Lovelace & Lori Devoti

Also received on Saturday from iBookDB - You Lost Him at Hello: A Saleswoman's Secrets to Closing the Deal With Any Guy You Want by Jess McCann

Friday, January 2, 2009

So, this will be my inaugural post to my new blog. I hope to have lots of exciting things going on here and hope you will join me to read about my exploits. I will be reviewing books, movies and just generally telling my soul to whomever will listen. I do have a bunch of stuff to say, I just can't really think of much at the moment. So, stay tuned!